Browse 90 aircraft types with ICAO codes and specifications
Seaplanes use floats or a boat-like hull to take off and land on water, opening access to remote lakes, rivers and coastal areas.
Floatplanes have pontoon floats attached to a conventional fuselage; flying boats use the hull itself as a buoyant surface.
Seaplanes serve destinations with no runway — island resorts, wilderness camps, and communities accessible only by water.
Amphibious aircraft add retractable wheels to operate from both land and water, maximising operational flexibility.
Maldives (world's busiest seaplane network), Canada and Alaska (remote community access), New Zealand, and scenic tourist flights in destinations like Vancouver and the Swiss Lakes.
No — seaplanes require calm, obstacle-free water of sufficient depth and length. Most countries regulate designated water aerodromes.
A floatplane has a normal fuselage riding on separate pontoon floats. A flying boat has a hull that acts as a boat, with floats only at the wingtips to maintain balance.